Education, publication, research

Education and qualifications

PhD, Queen Mary University of London, awarded in February 2012.
Thesis title: “Harmony and discord within the English ‘Counter-Culture’, 1965-1975, with particular reference to the ‘Rock Operas’ Hair, Tommy, Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and a Scouloudi Fellowship from the Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London.
Supervised by Professor Dan Todman.

2004-05: MA (with Distinction) in Twentieth-Century British History, Queen Mary University of London.
Also awarded “The Macmillan-Palgrave Prize” and “The Drapers’ Company Postgraduate Award for Academic Excellence”.
Thesis title: “Reduced Snapshots and Enlarged Negatives: Grunwick – the Left, the Right, the Media.”
Supervised by Professor Pippa Catterall.

2003-04: studied Cultural Studies and Film & Television History with the Open University, graduating with a BA (Open) (Honours) (First Class).
Dissertation title: “The British Television Single Play, 1959-1977.”

1993-96: Diploma in Drama (Acting) (with Merit), Queen Margaret College (now University), Edinburgh.
Accredited by Equity and the National Council for Drama Training.

1989-92: BA (major subjects Social & Economic History and Spanish), the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

1987-89: studied Music (major subjects Piano and Voice) at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama (now the The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), completing two years of a BA (Music Performance).

Publication

September 2008: “’Dispute’, ‘Battle’, ‘Siege’, ‘Farce’? Grunwick 30 Years On”, Contemporary British History, Volume 22 Issue 3.

Media

December 2007: BBC Radio Four, Today. Broadcast interview about the declassification of 1977 National Archive files on the Grunwick Dispute of 1976-78.

Research

My primary research interest has been Britain between c.1960-c.1990, particularly when viewed through the arenas of cultural representation and national, collective myth and memory. My approach is interdisciplinary in order to interrogate how and why ‘agreed’, sustained conceptualizations of recent decades have been formed. I draw upon the mainstream press, film and TV, pop music and the performing arts as well as political archives to address the overlap, friction and conflict between popular and ‘highbrow’ culture, and ‘high’ and ‘revolutionary’ politics and popular opinion.